Back To You
by Sway1984
Summary: "This is Nikki. She's my daughter." - After this revelation, Marti runs out on Julian. Can he convince her to give him and them a second chance? - spoilers for 1.21 and 1.22
1. Prologue

"This is Nikki. She's my daughter."

Marti stared at the little girl in disbelieve, than back up at Julian. She tried to think something, maybe even say something but it felt like half her brain, a good part of her stomach and bits of her heart had just dropped out of some hole in her body.

"Marti?" When she didn't respond, Julian reached for her arm but she pulled out of his grip.

"You know what? I gotta go. I totally forgot about the extra practice today. We're going to Nationals in ten days, so... I gotta go."

They both knew she was lying but she didn't care. She would do anything to get out of there. Anything but standing there like the dumbstruck idiot that she was.

So she turned on her heel and bolted.

She heard him say something to his daughter and then his hand closed around her bicep.

"Marti." He held onto her when she tried to get away from him. "Will you stop, please?"

She did stop but she didn't look at him. If she did, he would see the anger and the tears in her eyes and she wouldn't let that happen. If she could hold on to this last shred of dignity and not appear like a stupid teenager...

"Will you please let me explain?"

With all the defiance she could muster, Marti sucked in a breath and turned to him. "Before you... _explain_ anything, let me ask you something. When I asked you to do a background check on my not quite as dead father and you discovered I had a half sister I didn't know about... did it ever occur to you to clue me in into your little family secret?"

He let go of her, throwing his hands up. "And when was I supposed to tell you?" He took a step back from her and only now did she realize that he had followed her in his pajamas and on bare feet. "When we kissed, you walked out and I didn't see you nor hear from your for a week? Or when you suddenly showed up at my door the other night?"

Marti knew he was right. Which made this even worse.

Julian ran a hand through his still sleep-tousled hair. "I didn't mean for you to find out like this." More to himself than to her, he added: "I didn't think it would be a problem."

She snorted indelicately. "Look, I'm not naive, okay? I know you had a life before me. So did I." She brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear, trying to collect her thoughts. "And I don't have a problem that you have a daughter. In fact, that she has your eyes and your smile makes her kinda adorable." She paused again, unsure if she should continue. "My problem is... you. That after you wined and dined and slowdanced me... after... that night, you didn't tell me. You made me look like an idiot."

"I'm sorry."

She didn't need to look at him to know that he meant it. She could hear it in his voice.

Awkward silence fell between them and Marti flinched when he touched her arm.

"Can we take this inside now? Talk about it?"

Drawing in a long breath, she squared her shoulders. It took another breath or two until she was able to look at him. "No."

He raised a questioning eyebrow at her.

"I can't. It's... too much, alright? I just found out my father didn't die when I was a kid. That he was a junkie and had a whole new family after us. And then there's this thing with Lewis and Savannah and in all this insanity, there's you." Marti didn't even bother to hold back her tears any longer. She drew in a shaking breath. "And I was this close to..."

She turned away again, wiping her cheek with the back of her hand.

The grip on her arm tightened. "This close to what?"

"I can't do this right now, okay?" Biting her lip to keep more tears from falling, she looked at his hand around her bicep. "Let me go."

He did and she immediately stepped away from him, stepped out of his reach, stepped away from his smell, his warmth.

When she had brought a few yards of distance between them, she turned around to him again, hugging her arms around her middle as a chill ran down spine. Seeing him standing there, in the middle of the street, with that confused frown and no shoes... It was too much. Everything was too much.

Her voice was nothing more than a whisper. "I'm sorry."


	2. Chapter 1

Nationals were over.

The Lancer University Hellcats were the winners. Even with half the squad and sort of an improvised routine, they had won.

Champagne was flowing as freely as such a sporting event allowed it and everyone was celebrating. Everyone except for Marti.

She sat on the bench in front of her locker, lazily packing up her stuff when Lewis slumped down next to her, bottle in hand. "Yo, Marti, someone wants to talk to you."

Marti rolled her eyes. "Lewis, I told you, I'm not taking his calls."

"I heard you." He put a hand on her thigh. "I don't know what's going on between you two but if he hadn't put you on the student defender list, I wouldn't be here. _We_ wouldn't be here. So I'd say... give the guy a chance."

"No offense, Lewis, but... this is none of your business."

"If I'm the one telling him off every time he calls at Cheertown, it is my business. Besides... he's not calling. There's a little girl who wants to see you."

"What?"

Lewis pointed at the door and rose. "You might want to hear what she has to say." He winked at her and left.

Nikki came bounding towards her, a blue/yellow LU sign in hand. She cast a curious glance at her surroundings before she focused on Marti again. "Hello, Marti." She grinned from ear to ear, bouncing on her feet.

"Nikki? What are you doing here?" A little lamely she added: "Does your dad know you're here?" Marti looked worriedly at her slightly drunken teammates.

"Yeah, he took me to see you cheer." If it was humanly possible, her grin widened even more. "I think it's really cool."

Marti's jaw dropped. "He took you all the way to Florida to see me cheer?"

Nikki nodded eagerly. "When I'm in high school, I want to be a cheerleader, too."

"Really?"

"Yes, I want to fly just like you do." The little girl threw her hands up, mimicking her cheer position.

"And what does your dad say about that?"

Giggling, Nikki smiled sheepishly. "He doesn't know yet." She sat down next to Marti, feet dangling off the bench. For a long moment, she looked at her and Marti noticed she had inherited her father's curious gaze. "My dad misses you," she said in a very small voice.

Marti drew in a long breath, mostly to buy time, and nodded. "Did he send you here to say that?" When the girl didn't respond, she gently nudged her with one elbow. "It's okay, you can tell me."

Nikki shook her head, looking at her sandal-clad feet. "He didn't have to."

For a long moment, Marti looked at the girl, trying to wrap her mind around the slightly insane fact that she was here... that Julian was here. That he had come all the way to Daytona just to...

"You think I can talk to your dad for a minute?"

Nikki nodded. "He wanted to go outside to get coffee."

"Great." Marti rose. "Hey, what do you say? Do you want to learn how to fly before you get into high school?"

The girl beamed at her. "Can I?"

Marti shrugged. "We just won Nationals. If we can't make you fly, who can?" She turned around, searching the room for her base. "Hey Lewis. What do you say about showing my friend here how to be a junior Hellcat?"

###

"That's really low, you know. Sending your kid." Marti crossed her arms over her chest, trying her very best to look angry but failed. Actually seeing him there, in the flesh (and in shorts), made it all but impossible to hold a grudge. "It's kinda sweet, but still... low."

She had found Julian outside the venue next to one of those moveable coffee carts, leaning against the back of a bench that overlooked the beach.

He turned to her and for a second, a smile flickered across his features. "Where is she?" he asked with a slightest hint of panic in his voice.

"Lewis is tossing her twenty feet in the air," she replied nonchalantly, taking pride in his discomfort. "Relax. He's used to catching me, remember?"

Julian drew in a deep breath, obviously not very relaxed.

"He is the best," Marti assured him.

Uncomfortable silence fell between them before he spoke again.

"Congratulations, by the way."

"Thanks." Marti smile a forced little smile. "Seems like I get to keep my scholarship for another year."

"That's good news," he replied, shifting from one leg to the other.

"Yeah."

Another awkward beat passed between them.

"Julian, what are you doing here?" she asked when it started to become ridiculous. "You didn't come here just to see me cheer." It wasn't a question.

He heaved a sigh. "No. We do have some extended family down south we went to visit but... I need to talk to you."

The way he looked at her reminded her all too well of that morning when she had left him standing in the street. When she hadn't given him the chance to explain.

Slowly, she nodded, knowing she had to hear him out now. "Let me get some coffee first."

#

They walked down the boardwalk until they found a bench where it wasn't bustling with people.

Marti wished she had changed first. The place was crawling with cheerleaders in all shapes and sizes and while she had gotten used to all the pep over the past months, it still felt alien somehow. And right now, the uniform made her feel a little too young and a little exposed.

"I tried to apologize but you wouldn't answer my calls," he began when they sat down. If it was meant as an accusation, he didn't make it sound like one.

"Yeah... I couldn't...," Marti began lamely but he shook his head.

"I understand." He took a long sip from his coffee. "I'm sorry you had to find out like this. I meant to tell you but... it all happened so fast and... I wanted to be sure first."

"Sure about what?" Marti hated how little her voice sounded, how insecure.

He shrugged as though the answer was quite clear. "About you."

Her heart skipped a beat. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Julian remained quiet for a long time, rotating the coffee cup in his hands. When he spoke again, his voice sounded heavy and full of something she hadn't heard before. "My wife died four years ago." He looked down at his left hand, thumb brushing over a wedding band that was no longer there.

Marti stared at him in disbelieve, a quiet little "Shit." escaping her mouth.

"Nikki was three when it happened." He paused again, swallowing hard. "She knows that no one is ever going to replace her mother but... when I first started... dating again, I made it a rule that I wouldn't bring anyone home until I knew."

"Knew what?" Marti asked when he didn't continue. She wasn't sure if she wanted to hear the answer, if she was ready for it.

He shrugged with one shoulder, casting a quick sideways glance at her. "That it might last. At least for a little while. That it would be more than just another name for Nikki to learn."

Something inside her curled into a tight little ball and she had to clear her throat before she was able to speak again. "And you... meant to bring me home?"

He looked at her completely open and honest and frighteningly vulnerable. "Yes."

"And... how many were there... before me?" It was a stupid question. And unfair, too. And frankly, it was none of her business.

"One."

Marti closed her eyes against the sensation rushing over her, trying to process what his words implied. "Wow, that's..."

"I know." He smiled vaguely but he voice sounded heavy when he continued. "I won't lie to you, Marti. If this goes... somewhere... it's always going to be me and her."

She could only nod as a reply.

"I'm aware that this is not what you expected when we started this. And I understand if it's... too much. I just thought you should know. I owed you the truth. I'm sorry that I hurt you."

Marti nodded again, slower this time. He was right. It was a lot to process, maybe it was even a little too much. But knowing the whole story was better than all the theories and speculations she had come up with in the past two weeks.

What was she supposed to do now? Part of her wanted to run away again, run away from reality. A reality, she should have taken into consideration before she had showed up at his doorstep. The biggest part of her was confused as hell and didn't know what to do. And whatever was left... that part wanted to stay.

"I'm sorry I ran out on you," she said finally. "That was stupid." She pinched the bridge of her nose where a headache started to settle in. "And I'm sorry I yelled at you. I should have suspected something like this." A little laugh bubbled up her throat. "I can quote pretty much every article you ever wrote but I never bothered to properly look up your CV."

He raised his eyebrow curiously. "Because that would have been creepy. And a bit inappropriate."

"Right. It would have saved us some trouble, though."

A flicker of hurt ghosted over his face. "If you'd known... would you have..." He gestured back and forth between them.

She shrugged. "I don't know. I'd be lying if I had an answer." She paused, drawing in a long breath. "I mean... I'm half your age and your daughter is a third my age and that it some awfully sketchy math."

"I know," he replied quietly, sounding a little disappointed. "Listen, I... I can't tell you what to do but... for what it's worth, I'm not running away from this."

She looked at him and the breath hitched in her throat. He meant it.

Before she knew what she was doing, she leaned in and kissed him.

His hand went to the back of her neck and into her hair, dragging her closer but she pulled out of his grip.

She ran her tongue over her lips, savoring the taste of coffee and more. Before she spoke, she drew in a long breath. "So... what are we going to do now?"

Julian's eyes sparked with hope. "Well, I don't know about you but... Nikki and I were going to take a car back to Memphis... see the country."

Marti frowned at him. "Are you... asking me to come with?"

He grinned. "It was a vague allusion, yes."

"Well...," she cleared her throat. "The squad kind of expects me to go back with them. I guess there is some sort of welcome celebration thing at Lancer when we get back, so..."

"Right, I forgot."

"And we probably should get back. If Alice sees Lewis practicing with your daughter, she'll think she's being replaced all over again."

His grin widened. "Cheerleaders."

"Hey." She nudged him with her shoulder.

"Present ones excluded."

"Nah, it's true. Never thought I'd say this but... I'm one of them now."

His mood sobered a little. "I'm not expert but... you were great."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

They looked at each other for a long moment before Marti rose. "We should go."

He held her gaze for a second longer, nodding ever so slightly. "Thank you, Marti."

She frowned. "For what?"

"For hearing me out."

She shrugged with one shoulder. "Everyone deserves a second chance." Then she held out a hand to him. "Come on. Nikki is probably waiting for you."

His fingers slipped between hers as he rose. He looked down at their joined hands with the most adorable little smile she had ever seen on him.

She went on tiptoes and placed a hasty peck on his cheek. "I missed you, too."

He looked at her for a moment, taken aback. "That kid and her big mouth. I have no idea who she got that from."

Marti grinned at him as they turned to head back to the arena. "I have a few ideas."

They walked in silence for a while, hand in hand.

"If you do change your mind about the trip...," Julian said before they went back inside, "we're staying at the Plaza until tomorrow."

"Fancy." She nodded in appreciation. "Thanks to you, Bill Marsh."

"One person's loss, another person's gain."

She looked up at him for a moment. "I'll let you know."

"Good." For a moment, he looked like he wanted to kiss but he look half a step back from her. "Now you go and find my daughter before Alice gets to her."

#

In the morning, Marti was the first one up, hurriedly packing up her stuff. On her way out the door, she bumped into Lewis who looked every bit as sleep deprived as she felt.

"Hey Lewis... could you tell Vanessa that I'm not going home with the squad?"

He looked at her for a moment. "Found another ride, did you?"

She grinned a little sheepishly. "You could say that."

"Cool, I'll let her know."

"Thanks, Lewis." She gave him a quick hug, then started down the corridor.

"Hey Marti," he said and she turned. "That Nikki is a great kid."

She nodded knowingly. "She's got a great dad."

When she was already halfway down the hall to the elevators, she heard Lewis call after her. "You go get him, girl. Positive outcomes only."


	3. Chapter 2

The air condition of the rental compact was set to full blast and even though it sent chills down Marti's arms and legs, she didn't bother to turn it down. This beat traveling in a bus with two dozen cheerleaders by far and she was going to enjoy every perk of it.

Vanessa had called her soon after they had left Daytona city limits, demanding an explanation for her sudden disappearance. Much to Julian's amusement, she had struggled to find the proper description for who she was traveling with. He had scoffed at 'friend', blushed at 'boyfriend' and glowered at 'acquaintance'. When Marti had told Vanessa just to ask Lewis for the full story, his eyebrows had gone up but he hadn't ask her about it.

Not until they had stopped for a late breakfast.

They sat outside the fast food joint, backs leaning against the table, watching Nikki dart off to the adjacent playground.

"So... Lewis knows." Julian tried to sound neutral but she spotted the curiosity in his voice.

"Not all the gory details but... yes." Marti shot him a sideways glance, sipping from her raspberry smoothie.

"Okay."

"Is that a problem?" She arched an eyebrow.

"No," he replied around a bite of his slightly burned toast. "I just didn't think you'd..." He made a vague gesture and shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

Marti wasn't sure if she should be amused or hurt by his assumption. "Let me tell you something about cheerleaders."

"Yes, please do."

She punched him in the thigh. "It's strange hearing myself say that, too, so shut up. Lewis is my base. He tosses me in the air and I have to trust him to catch me before I plummet to my premature death on the sprung floor. If his mind isn't in it, we both might get hurt. Same goes for me. So we tell each other when something... upsets us. Not because we're keen on sharing but because our health depends on it."

He looked at her, a bemused smile quirking his mouth. "I never thought reasonable argument and waving pom poms would go together."

She glowered at him. "You think you're funny, don't you?"

"Occasionally."

She shifted closer to him, bringing her mouth closer to his ear so the all-American family one table over wouldn't hear her. "If I recall correctly, you came to experience some of the... perks that come with me being a cheerleader."

Julian choked on his toast and for a second she feared she might have to revive him. When he recovered, he knowingly tossed the last piece of his breakfast. "You are impossible."

Marti winked at him. "You like it."

For a long moment, he just looked at her, expression unreadable.

"Daddy, can we go now?" Nikki came bounding into her father's arm, breaking the thickening silence between them. She reached for her now cold hot chocolate, taking a long gulp from it.

"Yeah." His gaze was still fixed on Marti when he picked up his daughter.

"You go ahead. I'll toss this." She gestured at their trays. "And I need a refill."

"Get me one, too?"

Her eyebrows went up. "You? A raspberry smoothie?"

He shrugged. "I'm broadening my horizon." He reached into his pocket for some chance but she patted him on this shoulder.

"You keep your dollars, counselor. This one's on me."

As Marti stood in line to get their drinks, she watched Julian walk his daughter to the car. It was an adorable sight, her in her little pink dress being about half his height and him running his hand over her hair, listening to what she was telling him with great gesture.

At the car, he turned around, eyes searching and when he spotted her in the check out line, he smiled at her, warm, gentle... happy.

Marti's heart skipped a little beat. No matter where this was going... if it was going anywhere... for the time being, she had made the right decision.

#

"So... ehm... were are we staying the night? You're not planing on driving through, are you?" Marti asked when they had been on the road for a couple of hours.

"We haven't decided yet." Julian shrugged. "Thought we'd check into a hotel along the way."

"Oh no." She vehemently shook her head. "We're doing this the proper Kerouac way."

"The what?"

Her jaw dropped. "Have you never been on a roadtrip?"

"One," he admitted. "But that was ages ago."

Marti shifted in the passenger seat, turning to him. "Okay, so here's how it's done. You don't go on a road trip and check into some hotel. You find some cheap motel, preferably with a gated pool. And you get beverages and ice from a machine down the corridor where you run into some guy named Artie who is..."

"Keep it PG-rated, please." He tried to sound like a proper dad but she caught onto the mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Sorry." She grinned at him. "So yeah... motel... pool."

"Yes, dad. A pool," came Nikki's eager vote from the backseat.

Julian first looked at his daughter, than at Marti. "So you two are already ganging up on me?"

"The verdict is in." Marti held up her hand, smiling as innocently as she could.

Sighing in defeat, he reached into his pocket for his phone and handed it to Marti. "Go find your motel... and your pool."

She beamed at him, immediately setting off to search for the right accommodation.

When she had found one that matched her criteria, she proceed to the booking page but hesitated. She held out the phone to him, pointing at 'number of rooms' with a questioning look.

With a tap on the touchscreen, he added another room, smiling apologetically with a miniscule nod at his daughter.

Marti held up her thumb and went to continue to enter their information, when he took a hold of her wrist, grabbing the phone from her. She couldn't help but grin when he returned it to her and she saw the check at 'adjoining rooms'. This time, she held up two thumbs.

"Now... your credit card number, please," she asked when she reached the payment option.

"Right." He drew out the word, rolling his eyes at her. He motioned for her to hand over the phone.

"I was just making sure you keep your eyes on the road."

"Of course, you were." As he had entered the required information himself, he shot her a sideways smirk, adding quietly: "Gold digger."

She squinted at him in mock hurt, mouthing: "Sugar daddy."

"Dad, what's a gold digger?" Nikki asked and Marti snorted a laugh.

Julian glanced into the rear view mirror, a blush crawling up his cheeks. "I'll explain that to you in about... thirty-five years."


	4. Chapter 3

By the time they had reached the Peaches & Palms Motel, it was already getting dark and Nikki was fast asleep in the back seat.

While Julian was carefully extracting his daughter from the back of the car, Marti went to the reception to get their keys. When she came back out, she gestured to the upper level of the two-story building.

"You still need to sign at the front desk. For some reason, they didn't believe I was authorized to use your credit card." Marti leaned against the door frame to her room after she had unlocked the adjacent room and Julian had put Nikki to bed.

"So this is respectable place after all." Julian pulled the door shut behind him, breaching the gap between them.

She smirked at him. "There is a pay-by-the-hour place down the street, if that's more to your liking."

He matched her expression. "I'll be fine, thank you."

A beat passed between them, tension lingering in the air.

"I'll go..." He gestured at the vague direction of the reception.

"You better."

He pushed past her closer than he needed to, letting her feel the warmth of his body. "What are you going to do?" he asked, his tone ever so slightly suggestive.

Marti scoffed as if the answer was oh so clear. "I'm going swimming." She bit her lip, batting her eyes at him. "Care to join me?"

His eyes darkened instantly, nostrils flaring. Without a reply but with a little leer, he turned and headed down the stairs.

#

The water was cold and it took Marti a good amount of her willpower to dive in. But she didn't demand a gated pool and wouldn't use it. The sign at the gate said that swimming wasn't allowed after 7pm but she couldn't care less. As the manager had told her, there were only two other guests at the motel and they probably wouldn't mind if she took a late-evening dive. That she was naked would certainly add to their entertainment.

"Artie says hi." Julian leaned on the gate, a beer can in hand.

Marti turned in the water, swimming on her back. "Good ol' Artie. Nice guy. Bit of a slob, though."

He grinned around the rim of the can, shaking his head at the ridiculousness of the conversation.

"So... are you coming in?" she asked seductively, twirling in the pool.

"Unfortunately, I didn't bring my bikini."

Marti look down her body. "What a coincidence. Neither did I."

Julian stopped dead with the can raised halfway up to his mouth. He closed his eyes against the obvious sensation, then took a long sip from his beverage.

"There are other people here," he said lamely and even in the dim light, she could see the glint in his eyes.

"No, there are not." She shrugged. "And even if somebody takes offense, I have a lawyer who can bail me out."

He rolled his eyes at her. "Nothing but benefits for you, I gather."

"So far, I can't complain." She crooked a finger, beckoning. "Come on. I promise, I won't look." More to herself then to him, she added: "Not that I haven't seen it before."

He pursed his lips, squinted at her. Then he couldn't help but grin. "Your powers of persuasion are remarkable, Miss Perkins."

She beamed as he gallantly swung his legs over the gaze. "It's part of my charm."

His grin widened. "I am aware of that." He reached up to the top button of his shirt, then stopped. "Turn around."

Her jaw dropped, surprised that he actually took her up on that. Then she rolled her eyes, turning away from him. "You're making me miss a damn good show."

He chuckled that impossibly low chuckle. "Now you're just kissing my ass."

Marti bit her lips, trying to hold back a comment. To herself, she murmured: "Among other things, I hope."

For a long moment, there was not a sound to be heard and she wondered if he had secretly left (not that she would actually blame him) when she heard a splash in the water behind her. A triumphant grin spread on her face.

"You are trying to freeze me to death, aren't you?" Julian protested.

She turned around again when she felt his presence behind her. "You grown men and your complaints."

He smirked at her. "We're entitled to complain about cold water. It doesn't shed the best light on us." He raised an eyebrow, knowingly.

"Trust me, you've got nothing to worry about." While she was already used to this sort of banter with him, Marti felt a blush creep on her face.

He didn't respond but duck in the water. When he surfaced again, he shook out his hair, droplet flying everywhere.

Marti did a breaststroke towards him. "What's with you, shaggy dog?" She ran a hand through his hair from where it curled into his forehead, brushing it out of his face.

He looked at her, a slow little smile curving his mouth. "You enjoy this, don't you?"

She grinned, withdrew her hand and swam past him. "Tremendously."

"Thought so." He matched her expression and brought a few feet of distance between them with a few backstrokes. When he faced her again, his mood had sobered. "I'm glad you decided to come with us."

Marti nodded, smiling. "Me, too."

"You are?"

She could swear she spotted a touch of... if not fear, then insecurity in his voice. "Yeah."

He held her gaze for a long moment before ducking under again, diving a few strokes under water, coming up right in front of her.

A cheeky smile curled her lips. "Tell me, you're not enjoying this, too? Getting away from the files and the paragraphs and that stuffy herd of paralegals."

"Skinny dipping in a pool?" He came even closer, only a couple of inches between them now. "With you?"

She lingered in his immediate personal space for a moment longer before she pushed herself off the edge of the pool and past him, diving back into the middle of the pool.

Briefly, he glanced over his shoulder at her, then shook his head and ran a hand through his hair as if that would help making him believe what was happening just now.

"The things you make me do...," he muttered to himself.

"What was that?"

Marti took a good amount of pride in his reaction as he flinched when her hands closed on his shoulders. She could feel the warmth of his body even in the cool water. And she wanted more of it.

"Nothing." Using his advantage of actually being able to stand in the pool (if only on tiptoes), he twisted out of her grip and turned around, the expression on his face unreadable.

When he tried to reach for her, she back-paddled away from him.

He smirked at her. "So this is was we're playing, then?"

Marti kept her expression as neutral as possible, shrugging with one shoulders. "Who's playing?"

His grin widened as he followed her, obviously not making much of an effort to get to her. He could have gotten a hold of her arm quite easily, they both knew that, but whenever he was close enough, he let her back away again.

"You know what this reminds me of?" she asked when she let him come teasingly close again.

"The Swimming Pool?" He raised an eyebrow curiously.

She grinning, swimming backwards when she already felt the water stirring against her stomach as he came up to her. "Jaws."

His brow arched even higher. "We need a bigger boat?"

"Why, professor, you do know your pop culture references."

Julian looked at her with a mixture of amusement and indignation. "If it wouldn't make me feel old, I'd say I loved that movie when I was a kid."

Marti's laugh echoed off the building walls around them. "If it helps you at all... so did I. Even though it scared the crap out of me the first time. Wanda literally had to drag me to the pool after I watched it."

With one stroke, he swam up to her, dark eyes glittering in the dim light illuminating the pool. "Are you scared now?"

She twisted away from him, circling halfway around him. "Terrified." Much to her own surprise, she meant it.

This time, she let him get to her. And she let him kiss her, slow and deep, tasting of beer, chlorine and more.

Her hand went into the back of his neck so she wouldn't float away again. She gasped against his mouth when his arm snaked around her waist, pulling her against him, the contrast of the warmth of his body and the cold of the water all too enticing.

On its own accord, her hand traveled down the plains of his stomach and between their bodies.

He broke away from her, eyes screwed shut against the sensation when her hand closed around him. "What are you doing?" he breathed, voice heavy.

She leaned into him, bringing her mouth closer to his ear. "Wanna get drunk and fool around?"

He laughed against the crook of her neck and tried to respond but his words trailed off when she slowly started to stroke him. "You want to take this upstairs?" he finally managed, his hand closing around her wrist.

She looked at him for a long moment, then shook her head. "No." She had to swallow before she could continue. "Right here."

Before Julian could protest, she had sealed his mouth with a long kiss, gently pushing him backwards until his back hit the edge of the pool. When they broke apart, a devious smile crooked her mouth and she disappeared beneath the surface.

A hushed little "What..." was all he could say before she wrapped her lips around him, rendering all thought incoherent.

When she came up again, her hair veiled her face and she sputtered.

He brushed the most rebellious curl behind her ear, his hand snaking into the back of her neck. "You better be careful what you swallow."

She grinned. "I've missed this."

He arched an eyebrow. "Us making out in a pool?"

For a second, her mood sobered a little. "When you get cheeky with me."

"But it's only been that one time we..."

She placed her fingers against his lips. "I know." She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, drawing him into a long kiss.

"Are you sure?" he asked when she pulled back.

As a reply, her hand encircled him again, guiding him to her entrance.

She gasped as he pushed into her, her head rolling forward and against his shoulder. For a good minute, she stayed perfectly still, letting her body and mind adjust. Only slowly did she begin to move.

She had never done it in a pool before. Where her body was pressed against his, she felt his warmth, while the rest of her was exposed to the cold of the water, the sensation strange and enticing at the same time.

With one hand, she held on to the edge of the pool, while the other went to the back of his neck, nails gently raking at the sensitive skin there.

He moaned into her mouth, into the kiss, wrapping his arm tighter around her waist. His free hand slipped between their bodies, his fingers expertly seeking out her center.

She rocked against him, finding friction against his body, his hand. Her mouth fell open as he hit just the right spot inside her and for a second, she felt almost dizzy. She wanted to move quicker, give in to the urgency, but the water slowed her motions to an almost painfully slow pace.

"Somehow this works better on dry land," she heard herself say before she could think better of it, being aware of how it must have sounded.

"Oh yeah?" Julian looked at her with a languid little smile, his eyes sparkling dark. He pulled her flush against him, pushing deeper into her than he had before.

"Oh...," was all she managed, fingers clawing into his shoulder.

As much as he could without loosing his footing on the slippery floor of the pool, he met her thrusts, accentuating each with a light tap of his fingers against her clit.

A tiny wave of pleasure rolled down her spine, promising more. Even though they had only done it that one time (or three times in one night, if one were keen on details), she now realized how much she had missed this. Missed him.

It was different than with any other guy she had been with. He knew what he was doing, where he had to touch and tease her. He didn't have to ask whether she liked something or not. He didn't ask for not did he need her approval. He just... _did_ and it always felt good.

"You are driving me absolutely crazy. You know that, right?" Julian's words only slowly filtered into her brain.

When Marti opened her eyes to look at him, the breath all but hitched in her throat. His dark eyes shone with something... lust... and something else she had never seen before.

"I hope that's a compliment," she replied.

His hand crawled up her back between her shoulder blades, drawing her closer. "Yes, it is."

Their kiss started slow, gentle but quickly became deeper, more heated and passionate. She matched her pace, rocking against him, his hand, feeling him push in a little deeper with each thrust.

"Please...", she whimpered against his ear, letting him know exactly how close she was.

He increased the pressure of his fingers against her clit, running quick circles about the sensitive little pearl. If it was at all possible, he changed the angle of his thrust ever so slightly, hitting just the right spot inside her.

The orgasm almost hit her surprise and she had to bury her face the crook of his neck to keep herself from crying out loud. She bucked against him, letting the cold water splash between her thighs, adding a whole new sensation to the mix.

She rode her height out against him, seeking friction in every way possible. Her muscles clenched about him, drawing him over the edge as well.

He went perfectly still against her, the only indication being his hand clawing into her hair and his hot, ragged breath against the side of her neck. That deep, almost guttural growl rumbling into her ear was probably the sexiest thing she had ever heard and it almost made her come again.

They stayed like that for a few minutes until Marti was able to use her vocal chords again. "That was..." Vocal chords, yes. Coherence, not so much.

"Yes, it was," he provided equally eloquent.

She chuckled. "Maybe we should take this upstairs after all."

He nodded. "God know when's the last time this pool has been cleaned."

Eyebrows raised, she pulled back from him. "You really know how to spoil a mood."

"Sorry." Even in the dim light, she could see him blush.

She planted a quick kiss to this mouth. "Don't worry. It's kinda sexy."

He frowned at her. "You have a very weird taste."

"Very much to your advantage, don't you think?"

This time, he kissed her. "How do we get out of here?"

Marti looked around, trying to find the best escape route. "You take your pants, I take your shirt. And then we hurry." Slowly, she pulled away from him, shuddering as the water completely engulfed her again.

She got out of the pool first, reached for her top to towel herself off with it then slipped into his shirt. He followed her example, although he seemed less comfortable being stark naked for the world to see.

"Hey missy, how much are you chargin'?"

They turned in unison to see a guy in a dirty wifebeater standing on the balcony in front of his room on at the upper level.

"Excuse me?" Julian made a step forward, hands on his hips, shoulders squared in defiance.

"More than you could ever pay," Marti injected. How long had the guy been standing their? Had he witnessed their little... encounter?

"Whatcha doin' with him then? He's got a kid."

Marti made a mental note not to ever a) book into a motel when road-tripping, no matter how Kerouacian it may be and b) not to ever have sex in a public pool again. "Oh, I'm doing him for free." She grabbed Julian by the elbow and pulled him into a long, showy kiss.

The guy snorted indelicately, then disappeared in his room.

"Unbelievable." Julian's gaze was still fixed on the door, brows furrowed in anger.

"It's just some guy."

He turned to her. "He thought you were a hooker. Doesn't that bother you?"

Marti frowned, a bit confused. "Does it bother you?"

He hesitated and she could almost see his anger dissipating. "A little, yeah."

She smiled. "Listen, if I cared what other people thought or said about me, I sure as hell wouldn't have become a cheerleader. And I wouldn't be here." She paused, making sure he heard her right. "Yesterday, you said you were in this. So am I."

For a long moment, he just looked at her, then reached for collar of her... his shirt and kissed her.

"I think I need a shower," she murmured against his mouth when they slowly pulled apart.

"And I need some food."

She laughed at his confession. "Sounds like a plan." She stepped away from him, making sure his shirt covered her naked butt.

"You hungry, too?"

Marti grinned from ear to ear, recalling one of their previous conversations. "No."


	5. Chapter 4

Marti stepped out of the shower when there was a knock on the separating door. She wrapped her big, fluffy towel around her body and padded across the room, opening the door for just a crack.

Julian leaned against the door frame, a take-out bag in hand. "Room service?"

"Right on time. Come on in." She fully opened the door, letting him in. "I'll just put on something a little more comfortable."

His gaze traveled down her towel-clad body to her naked legs and blue-nailpolished feet. "No need on my account."

She glanced over her shoulder as she rummaged through her bag. "But on the account of your little girl sleeping in the next room." She slipped into her underwear and a pair of cut-off sweatpants. After a little more rummaging, she produced a washed-out Motörhead t-shirt. "And aside from that little episode of public exposure in the pool, I don't enjoy running naked as much as you'd think."

"That's...," he paused, searching for the right word, "consoling."

Marti picked up on the strange tone of this voice. "You're not still pissed about that guy, are you?"

With a sigh, he sat down on the edge of the king size bed. "That he called my... you... a prostitute? Excuse me if I can't just shrug it off just like that." More to himself than to her, he added. "If that's what it going to be like..."

"If you are already having second thoughts, you might as well leave this room right now."

He looked at her, taken aback by the harshness of her words.

Her shoulders sagged. "Sorry, I didn't mean for it to sound like that. I just really don't care about... the age difference or any of that." She stood in front of him, hands running up his collar. "And I wish you wouldn't either."

He looked up at her and she could see the apology in his eyes, yet it went unspoken. "I brought you fries." he offered after a moment.

She couldn't help but smile. However was she supposed to hold a grudge against him when he said things like that. "That's better." She leaned down and gave him a quick peck on the lips. "You almost called me your girlfriend just now, didn't you?"

He matched her grin. "Is that a problem? Too early?"

Marti hesitated, enjoying to see him squirm with anticipation. "No." She kissed him again. "Let's eat."

#

They put the food between them, cheeseburgers and fries, and apart from the occasional smalltalk about their upcoming last stretch of their trip, they ate in silence.

Washing down the last bite of her burger with a sip from her coke, Marti flopped on her back, stretching out on the bed. "You know... it's funny that after I go swimming, I'm always starving."

Julian rose from the bed to toss the paper bags and cartons into the trash. "Even though we didn't exactly swim?"

She laughed. "Probably even more so." She watched him go to the bathroom and wash his hands. "Can I ask you something?"

He didn't reply right away but slowly dried off his hands, then to returned to the bed, sitting down with his back turned to her. He drew in a long before he spoke. "Acute leukemia."

Marti stared at his back, at his uneasily shifting shoulders. "How did you..."

He laughed wryly. "It's the first thing anyone ever asks."

She sat up again, the comfort of the moment burst like a bubble. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."

He glanced over his shoulder. "It's alright. Talking about it, it's... it helps." Exhaling slowly, he kicked off his shoes and stretched out next to her, one arm behind his head, the other hand playing haphazardly with the buttons of his shirt.

Unsure what to do, Marti lay down on her side, her head propped on her hand. Even though she wanted to know, she felt uncomfortable for bringing it up. And for him knowing exactly what she wanted to know even before she had asked.

"I gave up my practice when we found out. When she got the diagnosis, the doctors gave her six months." He licked his lips as his voice started to become heavy. "She barely made it to three."

"What was her name?" Marti asked when he didn't continue.

"Katherine." He smiled, remembering. "Kate."

"That's a beautiful name."

His smile spread a little. "She was, too." He looked at her. "I'm sorry."

Marti shook her head. "Maybe you can show me a photo sometime?"

He reached out and let his fingers run down her arm until they met hers, entwining with them. He held on to her as he continued but didn't look at her. Instead, his gaze was fixed on a spot just over her shoulder. "We made all the arrangements but... all that time, all I could think of was... how do we tell Nikki."

Again, he paused and this time, Marti remained quiet.

"We were at the hospital for the last month and one afternoon, Kate send me out to get her a soda. But I knew she wanted to talk to Nikki." He drew in a long breath. "I watched them through the window but I couldn't hear what she was saying. And Nikki just sat there with her. And she... nodded. And then she hugged her. When I went back in, she came rushing to me and... clung to my leg." A little smile played around his lips. "And she looked up at him and said: I'll take care of you now, daddy.'"

He closed his eyes as tears threatened to roll down his cheeks. Even though he tried to hide them, they drenched his words when he continued. "A three year old girl... and she didn't cry. Not once."

Marti looked at him and realized something. People may have asked about his wife before but she was the first to ever hear the full story.

Not knowing what to say, she didn't say anything, only shifted closer to him and wrapped her arm around him, resting her head on his chest. She felt him stiffen beneath her but then he gave in to her and returned her embrace.

Marti listened to his heartbeat, her fingers tracing nonsense patterns on his chest. And as they lay there in silence, she realized something else. Something that scared her a little, something she had been subconsciously aware of the minute she had left him standing in the street that morning.

"Can I ask you something?" This time it was Julian asking, and he shifted to look at her.

"Sure."

He seemed to try and find the right words, studying her face before he spoke. "When you left that morning...," he began and she wondered if she had thought out loud. "You said that you were this close to..."

"...fall for you?" she finished for him.

Julian looked at her, mouth opening with words he didn't say. The only thing he managed after a long pause was: "Yes."

A slow smile crooked her mouth. "I did." The moment she said it, she felt her heart skip a beat and a rush down her nerves. As if he felt it, too, his grip around her shoulders tightened.

"That's good," he said then, his tone a little hollow, insecure. "Because I... I'm..."

She laid her fingers on his mouth, anything to shut him and keep him from stammering helplessly. "I know."

He pulled out of her grip, brow furrowed. "You do?"

Marti shrugged. "Well, I was never a math genius but I figured you showing up at Nationals," she held up her index finger, "plus you planning on introducing me to Nikki," middle finger, "plus you telling me about your wife," ring finger paired a little sigh, "plus you calling me your girlfriend," pinkie finger, "equals..."

"I guess it does." Julian let this fingers slide between hers, gently squeezing her hand. "I might not... be able to say it yet. Is that... alright?"

She answered him with a kiss, slow and sweet.

When she pulled back, his mouth was curved into a smile. "Does that mean you're giving this... us... another chance?"

Grinning, she nodded. "I guess it does." Her mood sobered a little when she sat up, pulling her legs beneath her. "There is one condition, though."

Julian's eyebrows went up. "Which is?"

She brushed her hair behind her ears, steepling her fingers in her lap. "When we get back... I want you to date me."

At that, his eyebrows went in the opposite direction. "Excuse me?"

"We got this all backwards. I mean... I'm no prude or a desperate defender of old, traditional relationships but...I want to get this right."

"So what are you suggesting?"

"That you will take me out." She shrugged with one shoulder. "Dinner... movies... dancing. And if you need a babysitter, I'm sure Savannah is happy to help. She's always short for cash." Marti reconsidered for a moment. "Although I am not quite sure if I want to expose Nikki to that amount of pep."

He laughed. "Alright. I'll date you."

"See, that wasn't so hard, now was it?"

He reached for her shirt and wanted to kiss her but she put her hand against his chest, keeping the distance. "What?"

"Actually, I'm gonna have to ask you to leave now."

"That's part of the deal?"

"I'm afraid so." She gave him a quick peck for consolation. "You should go back to your daughter, in case she wakes up."

He nodded, making get up from the look very tough. "Will you at least walk me to the door?"

"What kind of girlfriend would I be if I didn't?"

Marti leaned against the frame when he had opened the door to his room, looking up at him. On her bare feet, she felt him towering over her even more than usual.

For a long moment, he just looked at her, the tiniest smile curving his lips. Then he leaned down and kissed her and it felt like a first.

"Thank you," she whispered as they pulled apart, careful not to disturb the little girl buried beneath the thick comforter of one of the beds.

"What for?"

"For telling me."

He nodded quietly, then stepped into his room.

"Good night, Miss Perkins."

She smiled at their almost-trademark farewell. "Good night, Julian."


	6. Chapter 5

**Back To You – Part 5**

"Dad, can I have the rest of your pancakes?" Nikki had already stuck her fork into the remains of her father's breakfast.

"Sure, honey. Help yourself." Julian pushed his plate over to his daughter, then reached for the sugar to pour some into his coffee.

They had found a little diner down the road from the motel and were about to finish their breakfast.

Lost in thought, Marti pushed a piece of toast in circles on her plate.

"Marti, are you okay?" Julian's fingers brushed against Marti's arm to get her attention.

Her head snapped up and it took her a second to focus on him. "Yeah, I'm just...," she paused to recollect her thoughts. She felt a blush creep onto her cheeks. "I don't want to go back to Lancer."

He tilted his head, frowning. "Don't you have a celebration to attend to?"

"Exactly." She heaved a sign. "I mean... for the past months, everything has been about the squad. All the extra practices, and the trial and then, to top of it all, we get put under quarantine. For weeks, I have seen nothing but cheerleaders."

He smirked. "Aside from the quarantine, I don't see how that's a bad thing."

She glowered at him. "Why did I know you'd say that?" She washed down the piece of toast with her orange juice. "It's nice to... get away from all the team spirit and the pom poms for a change. You know... have something for myself."

Julian smiled at her, his hand lingering against hers, the gesture saying more than any words he could have said.

"I like the pom poms." Nikki grinned around a piece of pancake.

"And Lewis tells me you're an excellent flier. Maybe when you're a little older, you get to replace me on the squad." Marti beamed with a side glance to Julian.

"You are trying to give me a heart attack, aren't you?"

"Hm, no... just gray hair." Her grin spread even more. "It's quite attractive."

Julian hid his blush behind his coffee cup.

"Daddy, I need to tinkle."

He slipped out of the booth and let his daughter out.

"I'll go with you. You know how girls always go together." Marti rose as well and was about to head to the restrooms when Julian caught her by the arm and planted a quick kiss on her mouth, leaving her slightly dazed.

"What was that for? This... slightly inappropriate display of affection."

He shrugged and gracefully slipped back into his seat, smirking up at her. "Nothing."

Marti frowned at him. "You're a strangely irritating man, Julian Parrish. Charming, kinda hot... but strangely irritating."

His smirk turned into a grin. "Thanks for mentioning hot."

Before Marti could reply, Nikki tugged on her arm, dragging her along to the restrooms.

#

The last stage of the trip took longer than it had to. They could have made it back to Memphis by early afternoon but they had only left the motel right before check-out time. And even now, the miles on the Interstate didn't seem to fly by as quickly as they could have. Without openly talking about it, they were taking their time, neither of them eager to get back home.

Marti knew they were expecting her to attend the festivities and Julian probably couldn't take any more time off work but neither of them seemed to care enough to speed things up.

Like she had told him, it was nice getting away from all of that for a change. Not being someone's daughter, someone's newly-acquired half-sister, someone's roommate or someone's flier. She could just enjoy being herself, like any twenty-one-year-old college student should.

She looked at him just in time to catch him watching her from the corner of his eyes before he focused on the road again. And she could see that he was fighting off a grin. So she reached out a hand and laid it on his where it rested on the gear shift.

He shot a quick glance at her, then at their joined hands and this time, he did smile.

#

"Just let your legs follow your arms. It's really easy if you can imagine what you're doing," Marti explained as best as she could, before showing Nikki how to do a cartwheel.

They had pulled over for coffee and a tinkle break at a rest stop about two hours out of Memphis. Using her dad's inherited charm, Nikki had convinced her to show her a few of her moves. To save Julian from a premature stroke, they had moved their practice to the adjacent playground where a fall would only result in grass stains rather than a scraped knee.

While the young girl was practicing her cartwheels, Marti used the opportunity to do a few freestyle acrobatics. She climbed up on the monkey bars and went into a handstand. On her hands, she walked into the middle of the bars, then let her legs drop over her until they touched the bars and brought herself into a standing position again. Windmilling with her arms for balance, she turned sideways with her back turned towards Julian who was watching her artistry from a – at least, physically – safe distance.

She stretched her arms out, took a deep breath and back-flipped off the monkey bars, landing on her feet in a half-crouch. A sting of pain lanced up her leg, letting her know that her bum ankle still required a bit of rest and she hobbled back towards Julian.

"Are you hurt?" he asked concerned, putting his coffee cup to the side in order to catch her if need be.

"Nah, just some old battle scar." She rotated her ankle, making sure she hadn't sprained it again. "Now that Nationals are over, we'll all have time to lick our wounds. And that is one disgusting metaphor, now that I come to think of it."

Julian laughed, planting a quick kiss on her mouth. "I guess that rules out taking you to dance for a while?"

"Don't get your hopes up, counselor. We cheerleaders can take much worse and still put on a smile." She grabbed him by the shirt and returned the kiss. "So you better prepare some moves, mister."

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "Alright, I'll prepare some... moves."

She grinned from ear to ear. "Good. And who knows... maybe I'll show you some of my moves that you haven't seen yet."

He hid his blush in her unruly curls as he pulled her against him but she felt the heat of his skin against her cheek.

"Daddy, can I talk to Marti?" Nikki tugged on her father's shirtsleeve.

Slightly embarrassed, he cleared his throat, breaking away from Marti. "Sure, sweetheart."

"I meant alone, dad," the girl clarified matter-of-factly. "It's a girl talk."

"I raised a smart ass. How did that happen?" He looked from Marti to Nikki, then back at his girlfriend.

Marti couldn't help but laugh at Julian's slight indignation. "I have a few ideas. Now, take a hint, get me a coffee and give us some privacy."

"And now I'm dating one, too." Shaking his head in disbelief, he turned on his heel and left the girls to their talk.

They sat on the bench and Nikki pulled her legs up, hugging her knees.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" Marti asked when the girl remained quiet. She already knew what she was about to say.

"Marti, do you like my dad?"

Yeah, she had suspected that but she hadn't thought the girl would sound so blunt, so grown-up.

"Yeah, I do. I like him a lot."

Nikki nodded as if mentally checking the question off a list.

"Your dad told me about your mom," Marti continued. "Did he tell you about my dad?"

"No."

Marti shifted in her seat, unsure if she really wanted to share that story with a seven-year-old, especially since she had only recently found out about her whole family history herself. "When I was three, my mom told me that my dad had died."

Nikki looked at her. "Was he sick, too?"

"In a way. He took some things that weren't good for him. They made him not a very nice man." Marti rolled her eyes at her own words. But how was she supposed to sugarcoat her father's supposed overdose?

"Did you get to say goodbye to your dad?"

"No. One day, he just didn't come back home."

Nikki nodded again. "My mom had to stay at the hospital for a while. She said that she might come back home, either. And she told me to take care of my dad because he would miss her, too."

A tiny smile crooked her mouth, as Marti remembered Julian's recollection of the story. "And you're doing a great job so far." She ran a ran over the girl's long hair, not sure if the gesture wasn't a little too much.

Nikki beamed at her. "You think?"

"Yeah." She hesitated before she continued. "I know it must be weird seeing me with your dad."

To her surprise, the girl shook her head. "You like him. And he likes you. He talked a lot about you. And before we came to see you cheer, he was upset." She squinted at her and even more than before, Marti could see Julian in her. "He isn't upset anymore. And my mom said that he shouldn't be upset. That if there was someone else he liked, it would be okay."

Once more, the girl's wisdom surprised her but Marti knew where it came from. She had been that seven-year-old girl once.

With a more scrutinizing look, Nikki held up her hand, pinkie finger extended. "Can you promise not to make my dad upset?"

Marti looked at her, hesitating for a moment. There it was, that strange mixture of a girl wise beyond her age and childlike hope. But when she hooked her finger into Nikki's, she meant it. "I promise."

"Good. Because I like you, too."

"You do?"

Nikki nodded vehemently. "Yeah. You can do cool stunts. And you're very pretty."

Marti couldn't help but laugh. "Thank you. You are, too."

The girl grinned, her eyes sparkling. Still, her mood sobered quickly. "Marti, did you cry when you dad died?"

She hesitated for a moment. "Yeah. He wasn't always there but he was still my dad, you know." She drew in a deep breath. "But I cried even more my mom told me that he hadn't really died."

Nikki frowned and Marti regretted starting that particularly confusing part of her story.

"She didn't want to tell me that he had left us, so she told me he had died."

Knowingly, Nikki nodded. "She didn't want you to be upset, either."

For a long moment, Marti only looked at her. "Yeah, I guess." Again, she was surprised how grown-up the girl sounded. More grown-up than any second grader ever should.

"I'm glad you came with us, Marti."

"Me, too."

Before she knew it, Nikki had flung herself into Marti's arms, pulling her into a hug. "You're so much cooler than the other woman my dad brought home."

"I'm glad you think that." Marti's grip around her tightened and she placed a little peck on top of her head.

As they pulled apart, Marti spotted Julian watching them. Coffee cups in hand, he stood just out of earshot with the strangest expression on his face. She knew what it must have looked like to him, reminding him of his wife at the hospital. But when their gazes met, his mouth curled into that trademark, lopsided smile.

Slowly, he sauntered over to them. "Are you girls done with your talk?"

Marti looked at Nikki who nodded conspiratorially. "I guess we are."

"What did you talk about?"

The blonde snorted. "Right, like we'd tell you."

Julian grinned. "Fair enough. Would you mind holding that?" He gave one of the cups to her and with the now free hand, reached onto the back of her neck and kissed her.

There was a new quality to this kiss, it was... light, uncaring, as if some unseen weight had suddenly been lifted, leaving room for something... new.

When they broke apart, Marti leaned her cheek against his, lingering a little longer against him. "What was that for?"

He shrugged, matching her tone. "Like I'd tell you."

"Dad, when you're done kissing, can we go home?"

Caught in the act, they brought a step of distance between them. While Marti tried to hide her blush, the grin on Julian's face spread. He looked from his daughter to his girlfriend, then held out a hand halfway between them. "Let's go home."

Nikki was the first to reach for her dad's hand, happily bouncing on her feet. Marti took the coffee from his hand so he could wrap his arm around her shoulders as they walked back to the car. 


	7. Chapter 6

Julian pulled up to Cheertown in the late afternoon. The building was decorated in the team's colors, a huge banner proudly proclaiming the victory at Nationals.

"They never do anything subtly, do they?" Marti glanced out the window, looking a little weary. She really didn't want to get out of the car, knowing that one or the other Hellcat would great her with a tackleglomp and enough pep to fuel a medium-sized engine.

"It is kind of charming, though." Julian shot her a sideways glance that indicated he wasn't talking about the squad.

"If you say so." She smiled at him, hand on the door handle. "Guess this is it."

"I'll see you?" A little hint of fear flickered over his face and he bit his lips in a nervous gesture.

"You will." With a grin, she scattered his worries. "We have a deal, remember?"

He matched her expression and leaned into her for a kiss. They broke apart when Nikki let out a scoff in the backseat.

"Give me a call." Marti turned to the girl. "You make sure your dad calls me, okay?"

Nikki grinned from ear to ear, nodding eagerly.

"It's so great you two are already ganging up on me." Julian looked from his daughter to Marti.

The cheerleader shrugged. "Us girls gotta stick together." She gave him a quick peck on the lips before she got out of the car to get her bag from the trunk. "I'll see you."

Julian nodded for an answer and for a moment, his gaze lingered on her before he drove off.

Marti looked after him, then inhaled deeply to steel herself before she turned and headed into Cheertown.

#

The party was in full swing after Dean Laverne had finished his well-intentioned yet painfully boring speech. If half the squad hadn't been slightly drunk even before the speech, there might have been a riot.

But now, there was music and dancing and plenty of booze and it didn't matter how tiring the speech had been or that the next tournament would begin all too soon. All that mattered was having a little fun now after a couple of very stressful weeks.

Vanessa had announced there would be no practices for a week which had been the most exiting news after the victory. They all needed a break, time to regroup, especially now that Alice would be the new team captain. It would be a new start, another chance, for all of them.

Marti was dancing with Darwin who had only recently recovered from his sprained ankle. She had her arms wrapped around his neck as they were twirling to the music.

Suddenly, he stopped, looking at her. "Marti, you're vibrating."

She quirked her eyebrows at him but then realized he was right. Her cellphone was vibrating in the back pocket of her jeans. "You know me. Always on duty."

She had one missed call from an unknown number and a text message from Julian.

"_I want to wake up with you."_

Her heart skipped a beat and a huge grin spread on her face as she read it.

"Good news?" Darwin asked, trying to steal a glance at her phone.

"Pretty good, yeah." Marti still couldn't shake off the grin as she pushed the callback button.

Julian picked up on the second ring. "You told me to call you."

"Yeah, tomorrow or in a few days." Marti had to cover her other ear to be able to understand him. While she was surprised about his call, she couldn't help but enjoy the warm, fuzzy feeling in her stomach.

"Am I bothering you?"

She wasn't sure if the disappointed tone in his voice was real or not. With their somewhat skewed history, she wouldn't blame him if he actually believed he was bothering her.

And something else caught her attention as well. She closed her eyes to concentrate on it. "Where are you? Is there music playing?"

"Yes."

"Wait... that's..."

Darwin tapped her on the shoulder, pointing to the door, where Julian stood, cell phone pressed to his ear.

"... our music," Marti finished her thought.

He smiled at her and it was that dazzling smile that was so hard to resist, that wooed judge, jury and slack-jawed girlfriends alike. He hung up and came sauntering through the crowd.

Seeing him here wasn't that far out but it still took her completely by surprise. "What are you doing here?" she asked, the phone at her ear.

He took it from her hand and flipped back to his own text message. "I want to wake up with you," he read aloud, one eyebrow raised curiously. "Did I not make myself clear?"

Marti scoffed, unsure if she thought this to be obnoxious or charming. Or maybe a little of both. "You did but... what about the deal?"

Julian gave her the phone, straightening, suddenly appearing all businesslike. "Well, you said that when we got home, you wanted me to date you, right?"

"Yes."

"I haven't unpacked yet."

She looked at him for a long moment until she finally understood. "You know, since you're so keen on technicalities... you should've been a lawyer."

He grinned at her, all but bouncing on his feet, exuding an impossible amount of boyish charm. "So what are you saying?"

Marti pondered the option for a long moment. She had come up with that condition for a reason. They had rushed head first into this and there had been damages on both sides. Now that they had another chance, she didn't want to ruin it again, she wanted to take it slow. Even after this short amount of time, there was too much at stake already.

"What about Nikki?" she heard herself ask. Of their own accord, the fingers of her hand had started playing with the hem of his shirt.

"I dropped her off at her friend's house. She couldn't wait to tell her all about her trip and how she'll become a flier for the Hellcats."

Marti grinned. "Seems like I left some permanent damage there, didn't I?"

He stepped closer to her, making sure she was the only one to hear him. "I can think of some ways you can make up for it."

She buried her grin against his neck. "I bet you can." Her arm slipped around his waist, pulling him closer. "Will you dance with me?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Here?"

She nodded. "Let me preserve at least a little bit of my integrity."

Brushing some unruly curls from her face, he leaned down to kiss her and as he did she realized how much she had already missed it. Him.

Maybe it was fate. Maybe it was some weird coincidence. Or maybe it was the DJ playing a trick on them. But as soon as his arm snaked around her back, the song changed to a slow power-ballad.

They swayed to the music and Marti couldn't care less about the looks her teammates cast at her. Most of them knew Julian at least from sight since he had helped get Travis out of jail and save the Hellcats from going down with Jake.

From the corner of her eye, she caught Lewis giving her a thumbs-up behind Alice's back (however they had gotten back together was a mystery all by itself) and Savannah beamed at her as she and Dan turned around to them.

She wrapped her arms tighter around Julian, inhaling his scent, his cologne and more. For the first time in a long while, she felt like... home, like she had finally found her place. That feeling had started when she had joined the Hellcats a year ago but thanks to circumstances and her own screw-ups, she had slipped in and out of this sense of belonging.

Especially after the trial, when she had looked around her at all the happy couples, and she had hardly ever felt more out of place. In retrospect, she may have gone to see Julian out of the basic need to be with someone. But she had come back for more.

When she had knocked on his door a week later, it had been because he understood her. He respected her and yet never failed to poke fun at the fact that she was a law-student by mid-morning and a cheerleader by afternoon. He trusted her with things she might still be a little too green to handle, not because he wanted to see her fall flat on her face but because he believed in her. If that wasn't reason enough to fall for him, those damn good looks and that low, Southern drawl did help.

Marti went on tiptoes, her fingers brushing up the back of his neck and into his hair. "Give me five minutes and then we'll get out of here."

He pulled back from her to look her in the face, eyebrow raised. "Five minutes?"

She shrugged. "I'm not going to seduce you in my sports-bra."

Slightly taken aback, he had to clear his throat before being able to speak. "Take all the time you need. I'll wait out front."

#

With one hand stashed into his pocket, Julian stood outside Cheertown, a cool bottle of beer in the other. He was about to take a sip, when someone approached him.

"Mr. Parrish?" He turned to find Lewis standing behind him. "I'm Lewis Flynn." The young man held out a hand to him. "We've met but I don't think we've been introduced."

Julian shook the cheerleader's hand. "Yes, Mr. Flynn. You are Marti's... base?"

Lewis grinned. "I see you're getting familiar with the vocabulary."

"Forcedly."

"Listen, I... never got to thank you for putting Marti on the list for the honor court. She saved my life. And the squad."

Julian shrugged. "She had a good argument." When Lewis raised his eyebrows at him, he continued, "You are her friend."

Lewis nodded. "Yeah, that does sound like her."

"So why deny you the best student counsel you could get?"

"To Marti." Lewis held out his beer bottle and Julian clinked his against it, both men drinking a sip.

They stood and drank in silence for a while before Lewis cleared his throat to speak. "Look, I don't like to pull the overly protective brother card..."

"But you're about to," Julian interrupted him, mouth quirked into a smile.

"She is my friend. We're a team. And we look out for each other. This past year has been insane for all of us and if it hadn't been for Marti, we wouldn't be here. Even if some members of the squad disagree, we owe her a lot."

"I have no intention of hurting her, Mr. Flynn." Julian picked up on Lewis' unsaid words. "I know she told you about my daughter. And believe me, if I had known where this would lead, I would have told her sooner. I never meant to upset her."

Lewis broke into a grin. "I know you're a decent guy. I'm just doing my duty here."

"Duly noted, Mr. Flynn." Julian raised his bottle with an appreciative nod.

"Lewis." The cheerleader stuck out a hand.

"Julian." He shook it.

"So... you two..."

"Yep."

"Do you two boys need to be alone?" Marti appeared behind them and both men flinched.

"No, I'm just putting your date in his place." Lewis shot a conspicuous glance at Julian.

"He's not giving you a hard time, is he?" She snaked her arm around Julian's waist, claiming him.

"I'm used to having you on my back. Lewis hardly warrants a threat." Julian fought hard not to grin.

Marti punched him playfully in the ribs. "You say such nice things about me."

"Are you ready?" Julian changed the subject.

"If you don't mind if I use your bathroom for some finishing touches."

"Oh, get out of here," Lewis scoffed, twisting his face in disgust. He patted Marti on the back, then headed inside, muttering to himself, "People in love... disgusting."

"Yeah, say hi to Alice from me," Marti called after him and he waved a hand at them. "Let's go."


	8. Chapter 7

**Back To You 07**

For what seemed like the millionth time, Marti brushed her fingers through her hair, arranging and rearranging her curls. She had no idea what she was this nervous. It wasn't like this was her first time, it wasn't even her first time with Julian. And yet...

She smacked her lips, bringing out the gloss she had applied before and went through her hair again. Then she went downstairs to where Julian was rummaging about in the kitchen.

"What's smelling so good?" She inhaled deeply, trying to figure out what the scent was.

"Me." Julian flashed her a grin over one shoulder. "And some spaghetti in marinara sauce."

"Wow, I didn't know you cooked, too."

He shrugged, putting two plates on the kitchen counter. "Well, it's not the Four Seasons, but I suppose it qualifies as dinner... as per your request."

She grinned around her blush. "If it tastes half as good as it smells, I think I can accept it." She took the serving spoons from his hand, pulling him close for a kiss.

He held on to her, deepening the kiss, his arms wrapped around her waist.

"I think your sauce is burning," she murmured against his mouth as they pulled apart a little.

As he focused on saving their late dinner, Marti slid on one of the stools. It proved to be a bit difficult, given how short her dress was. If she didn't know any better, she would have assumed him to be an actual cook. He moved around the kitchen as he did at his law firm, with the same kind of professional coolness and passion for what he did.

As he turned around to her again, sauce and pasta in hand, he stopped dead as if he had completely forgotten she was there.

"What?" she asked, suddenly feeling very insecure.

"Nothing, it's just..." He put the food on the counter and sat down, still looking slightly dazed. "You look... you are beautiful."

Heat rose into her cheeks and she averted her gaze, brushing her hair behind her back in a nervous gesture. "Thank you."

They ate in silence for a while before their hands met on the way to the pasta tongs.

"It's kinda Lady and the Tramp-ish," Marti said after he motioned her to go first.

"Am I the lady or the tramp?"

She squinted at him. "Don't get me wrong but... I think, in this case, you're the lady."

"As long as you don't make me stick my head in the bowl and share a string of spaghetti, I'm fine with that." Julian took a sip from his wine, grinning around the rim of his glass.

"And risk spilling sauce in this dress? Are you crazy?"

He shrugged, giving her a leering glance. "At least I'd have a legitimate reason to see you without it."

She all but choked on her drink. "God, you're subtle."

His mood sobered and again, he looked at her with this unfathomable expression.

"Stop... looking at me like that." She dabbed at her mouth with the napkin, anything to hide her face from him.

"I'm in love with you."

Marti stared at him, feeling a million things and nothing at once. "I thought you wouldn't..." she started lamely as soon as the initial surprise had worn off a little.

"So did I but..." He broke the eye-contact for a moment, then looked back up at her again, his hand falling on hers. "I don't want you to think I'm putting you on hold just because I..."

"I told you I understand," she interrupted him.

"And I'm grateful for that." He looked at her for a long moment before he continued. "Marti, for the past couple of years, I didn't think I'd be able to... be close... to anyone again. And then, you come barging into my life."

Marti smiled wryly, not sure what to think about all this. "I've been known to do that."

"I have never met anyone like you."

"I hope that's a compliment," she interjected again.

"It will be one if you let me finish."

She didn't know if she wanted to look away from him or keep on getting lost in that all too adorable expression on his face. "I'm sorry. This just... it makes me nervous."

His hand closed down on hers, holding on to her. "You are incredibly smart and you are incredibly sexy. And sometimes, you are incredibly oblivious about it. Ever since we met you have been nothing but a challenge to me. Being with you... is like a wake-up call. Reminding me of something I had forgotten a long time ago."

"And what is that?" Marti's voice was shaking audibly and she could feel tears burning in her eyes, threatening to ruin her make-up.

He shrugged as if the answer was all that obvious. "What it's like to be happy."

Marti laughed a laugh that was both relieved and sad. "That's what Nikki said your wife told her."

Taken slightly aback, Julian withdrew his hand. "What?"

"That you should be happy." For a moment, she felt guilty for telling him. Nikki had told her and it had been obvious that she had never told her dad. But he had to know.

Julian let out a long breath, emotion making his eyes glitter. "She was a smart woman."

Marti couldn't help but smile. It was her turn to reach out for his hand. "She must have been." She shrugged. "She married you."

This was not what she had expected this evening to be like. She had pictured them having some wine, making out on the couch and eventually they would end up in his bed. She had been looking forward to that.

Instead he had taken her by complete surprise, not only serving her dinner but telling her what she had least expected him to say. When he had told her about his wife and that he would need time to put his feelings for her into words, she had understood that. She wouldn't have pressured him, she wouldn't have asked for more than he was able and willing to give. She knew how he felt about her, and being with him was all that mattered.

Marti had no idea how much time had passed when he spoke again.

"I know it sounds awfully clichéd but... if that last month at the hospital has taught me anything, it's... not to waste time. That's why I'm telling you now. I want you to know."

Without ever breaking eye-contact, she slid off the stool and took the step toward him, planting a long kiss on his mouth.

When they broke apart, she wrapped one arm around his neck, drawing him into a tight hug. With her mouth close to his ear, she whispered, "Let's skip dessert."

Gently, he pushed her at arm's length, one eyebrow quirked in that somewhat blasé expression that attracted and annoyed her at the same time. "God, you're subtle." He kissed her again, deeper this time. His voice was nothing but a low, caramel-coated rumble down her senses: "This is dessert."


	9. Chapter 8

How they made it up the stairs to his bedroom without breaking a bone or one of carefully selected items of decoration was a mystery all by itself. A mystery, neither Marti nor Julian cared to solve.

She had already pulled the shirt over his head and was about to undo his belt, when his hands closed over hers.

"I recall something about you seducing me." He leered at her.

"Why, councilor, that seduction you're talking about..." He ran her hands up his chest, her heels putting her almost equal height. "That started a long time ago."

His leer turned into a smile. "I'm remotely aware of that."

She grinned at him. "Then I'm sure you won't mind helping me getting out of this dress."

"Not at all."

She turned and brushed her hair out of the way.

His fingers trailed along the back of her neck before pulling down the zipper. A chill ran down her spine as his hands slipped underneath the fabric to push the dress off her shoulders. It pooled around her feet, leaving her in heels and a set of delicate, ruby-red underwear.

Julian practically started drooling as she turned around to him, his eyes roaming over her body.

She wasn't overly self-conscious (as a cheerleader with a tiny little uniform, you really couldn't be) but the way he looked at her, she couldn't help the blush creep onto her cheeks. "I take it, you approve."

"Approve? If you'd told me you'd be wearing this, we would have skipped dinner altogether."

There was something about him, about the way he said things, did things, looked at her, that made her fears, her insecurities and doubts vanish within the blink of an eye.

"Patience is a virtue, professor."

He matched her tone. "Miss Perkins, there is nothing virtuous about red lace."

She breached the gap between them, her hand darting out to brush over the front of his pants. "Really?"

His eyes flickered shut, betraying his self-assurance. But only for a second. Then his fingers closed around her wrist and he guided her hand along the all too visible outline of his erection.

She gave him her best look of mock-modesty. "I see you have a... _solid_ argument."

He held her gaze for a moment before breaking into an all-defying grin. "We are _not_ very good at this."

"We'll get there." She stepped even closer to him, trapping her hand between their bodies. "Let's skip the talk for now."

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "First dessert, now the talk? Whatever are we left with?"

Marti didn't even try to fight off the smirk as she put her hand on his chest, pushing him back until he bumped into the foot of the bed and sat down on it. She slid into his lap, one arm wrapped around his neck, pressing against him and forcing him on his back.

He stretched his arms above his head, giving her access to run her hand along his triceps and forearms until her fingers slid between his. Hovering over him, her hair all but veiled his face but she could see that unfathomable expression on his face, caught halfway between a smug smile, boyish curiosity and... what? Adoration? Dare she think... love?

Shaking off that thought (it was just too much right now), she leaned down to kiss him, long and slow. He struggled a little against her grip but quickly gave up when he realized that she wouldn't let go. He even stayed like that when her kisses traveled south, down the line of his jaw and neck, her tongue dipping into the hollow at the base of his throat.

This was so very much better than last night's chlorinated kisses. Tonight, she could taste soap and salt and him on his skin and she definitely wanted more of that.

Julian twitched beneath her as she reached his belly button, her fingernails raking lightly down his sides.

"Oh, he's ticklish." Marti grinned at him triumphantly, repeating the motion to elicit the same reaction from him. "Good to know."

He shot her a glare that wasn't really menacing. "You'll pay for that."

"Oh really?"

He held her gaze for a moment. "Maybe later."

She grinned at him. "I really hope you don't falter as easily in the courtroom."

"You have no idea." With a jolt, Julian set up again, all but knocking her to the floor. Just in time to catch her, he reached for her arms and pulled her to her feet. "Maybe I should demonstrate my... powers of... persuasion."

"I thought we were going to skip the talking."

"Yeah. We were." His arm went around her waist and he pulled her into a kiss. When he let go of her, she was slightly dazed, swaying on her feet.

With his gaze fixed on her, his fingers slipped under the straps of her bra, slowly sliding them off her shoulders. She watched his hands slide down her arms and she reached around her back and unclasped her bra.

He let his finger trail down between her breasts, hooked his index finger under the delicate fabric and tugged it off her.

Marti sucked in a breath and a chill ran down her spine, not only at his touch but at the gaze that trailed along with it. She felt heat rising into her cheeks and she was about to cross her arms over her chest when he reached for her wrists, shaking his head.

She felt as if she was about to combust. She had no idea why she was so insecure all of a sudden. She wasn't ashamed of what she looked like. If anything, the training with the Hellcats had redefined her already toned body. While, with a look and a smile, Julian could make her feel sexier than ever, he was also able to scatter her confidence and make her feel like the gawky teenage girl with the braces she had once been.

Julian let go of her and sank down on one knee in front of her. With one arm around her waist, he pulled her closer, trailing open-mouthed kisses down her stomach. Her navel-ring clinked against his teeth as his tongue dipped into her bellybuttons, going lower.

His fingers hooked into her panties, slowly tugging them down her legs until she was able to step out of them, leaving her in nothing but her heels.

Marti ran a hand through his hair, making him look up at her. "You want me to keep them on?"

His eyes shone darker than usual, a glint of mischief making them sparkle. "Some other time." He rose again, wrapped an arm around her and lifted her off her feet, setting her down on the bed again.

"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice shaking a little, as he hovered over her.

He brushed a strand of hair from her face, letting his hand rest against her cheek. "You wanted to do this right." It wasn't a question. "So do I." To make his point, he leaned into her and kissed her, slow and deep.

"I like the way you think."

His kisses dropped lower, down her neck, over her collarbone and between her breasts. Carefully, his lips closed around one of her nipples, gently sucking it into his mouth.

She arched into the touch. "I definitely like the way you think."

"Will you please...," he kissed her bellybutton again, "stop," he kissed her below the navel, "talking."

"Okay," she nodded vigorously, biting her bottom lip to adhere to his wishes.

He shouldered his way in between her legs, his kisses traveling up her thigh to her knee then down again. When he reached her hipbone, her hand closed on his shoulder.

"Wait," she managed through a pant. She didn't look at him but had her gaze fixed to the ceiling.

"Something wrong?"

Marti shook her head. Why was she so goddamn nervous about this? She had nothing to worry about. On the contrary, this was more than she had expected of this evening.

"Marti," he urged her to answer, crawling up her body again to look her in the face.

"No, no. It's just...," She felt heat rising into her cheeks. "It's been a while since someone..." She arched an eyebrow and nodded down her body, hoping that he would understand.

An amused little smile quirked Julian's mouth but his eyes shown serious and he nodded. "Me either," he admitted.`Then he leaned down to kiss her. "If you want me to stop...," he let his words trail off, raising an eyebrow.

"Did I say that?"

That amused smile turned into a smirk. He kissed her again, letting his hand slide between their bodies and his fingers into her.

The breath hitched in Marti's throat and she broke the kiss, gasping for air, arching into the touch. "You... could have... warned me," she barely managed, her body seeking friction on its own accord.

"And where's the fun in that?" he murmured against her mouth, drawing another kiss from her lips.

After that, Marti lost track of how exactly Julian had resumed his position between her thighs again, his hand still caressing her. And it didn't matter.

Her mind all but blanked when she felt his breath against her skin and her body started tingling with anticipation.

It had indeed been a long time since somebody had... performed. She hadn't gotten to that point with Lewis at the time (while they had slept together, things had been to casual with him to allow it) and the last guy she had been with hadn't been all that great at it. Now this strange mixture of anxiety and arousal coursed through her that made her toes curl even before Julian even touched her.

It felt amazing. No, he felt amazing. He was taking his time, slowly exploring her with his hands and mouth, teasingly licking his way to her center.

This certainly wouldn't take long. It had been too long and it felt too good.

Mustering all of her willpower, Marti opened her eyes to look down her body. She met Julian's gaze, his eyes shone even darker than usual, gleaming with mischief.

Her hand darted down and she ran her fingers through his hair, urging him on.

"You know...," she breathed, "if we were doing the whole dirty talk thing... I'd say you really know how to use your mouth." She had to chuckle at her own words, knowing how ridiculous it sounded.

"Good thing we're not doing that thing, then." He laughed and she felt his laugh vibrate against her, sending a little jolt up her spine.

Her back arched off the bed as he crooked his finger inside her, hitting just the right spot. The gleam in his eyes turned from mischief to gleeful satisfaction.

Marti gave into the sensation, gave into his touch, into his caresses, his ministrations. And she wanted more, wanted to feel more of his fingers inside her, more of his lips and tongue on her. She arched against him, pushing back and demanding more. And without so much as a self-satisfied smirk against her heated skin, he gave it to her.

It started out slow in the pit of her stomach, the heat spreading slow down her legs and up her body until it crashed down on her senses, blinding her vision, the bloodrush in her ears deafening.

She had no idea how long she lay there until her heartbeat slowed down again, until she was able to catch a long breath. All the while, he ran slow circles around her clit, drawing a few more moans and shivers from her.

The next thing Marti knew... or felt, for that matter, were his lips on hers, letting her taste herself.

"You alright?" Julian brushed a strand from her face, running his thumb over her cheekbone.

She nodded weekly, trying to focus on him. She blinked a couple of times to get a clear vision again. "Why are you still wearing pants?"

Julian grinned at her incoherence, obviously taking pride in his... craftsmanship. "I'm being modest."

She arched an eyebrow at him. "Time for modesty is over, professor." Using one leg as leverage, she flipped him on his back and sat astride his thighs. She could feel him through his slacks and when she ran a hand over the front of his pants, he bit his bottom lip to stifle a moan. She took her time, pulling the belt from it's loops, unzipping his fly.

"You were not kidding about the seduction." Julian's voice dropped in pitch and he folded one arm under his head to get a better look at her.

She grinned victoriously, leaning over to him, her hair veiling him. "I never kid about seduction." She pressed a long kiss to his mouth, then dropped lower, kissing down his neck, over his chest and stomach until she reached the open fly.

Her fingers hooked into his waistband and he lifted his hips off the bed to help her tug his pants down his legs. Again, she let her hands trace his outline beneath his boxer-briefs and he bucked into her touch. His underwear went onto the pile of their clothes and her fingers closed around him, gently stroking him.

Julian reached into the back of her neck and he pulled her into a kiss, her body stretching out on top of his with her hand trapped in between. With his free hand, he started fishing for something in the top drawer of his bedside table and after some blind digging, he produced a string of condoms.

Marti quirked an amused eyebrow at him. "Four?"

He shrugged with a smirk. "I have always been very ambitious."

She laughed, snatching the condoms from him. "At least you have moved them to a more convenient place this time."

"I'm also a quick learner."

The last time (their first time), it had taken some digging through his medicine cabinet to produce a package of soon to expire condom. While that hadn't been a clue to her at the time, Marti had found it strangely adorable. She was sure they didn't actually need them but it was better to be save then sorry.

Marti shifted to sit in his lap and ripped one of the packages open. Her hands were shaking ever so slightly as she tried to put the condom on him. What the hell was wrong with her? Why was she so nervous? She had never been this antsy with anyone else before.

Julian must have sensed her anxiety as his fingers closed over hers and he took matters into his own hands. Sitting up, he wrapped his around her waist, pulling her flush against him and into another kiss.

A moan rolled off Marti's tongue and onto his as she sank down on him, her arms sliding around his neck to get even closer. It had only been yesterday but while that thing in the pool had been thrilling and amazing and whatnot, this was different. It was more intense, more... real.

Feeling his heated, sweat-slick skin beneath her hands, running her fingers through the hair in the back of his neck. Being pulled closer to that she could barely move against him but having him slide even deeper into her.

Marti broke the kiss, drawing in a shaky breath which she exhaled against his ear. Having just come made the feeling of him inside her all the more intense.

His hands traveled higher on her back in between her shoulder blades, giving her space to move and a nudge to do so by tilting his hips up to meet hers.

She set a slow rhythm, shifting her weight to her knees to lift herself up before taking him back in. A slight shift in position let him hit just the right spot inside her. She let one of her hands slide between their bodies, over his chest and abs, dipping down to her clit.

A strange exhilaration rolled over her when she looked up to meet his gaze. He looked at her with a mixture of curiosity and lust, of fascination at what she was doing and a deep and almost dark desire.

Marti almost jumped when his hand pushed hers aside, his fingers pushing down on the sensitive little pearl. She hushed out a low: "God.", starting to seek friction against him.

Her pace sped up a little and she knew she wouldn't take all that long. Sometimes she would treat herself to seconds, preserving that rush for a little longer, and they were never that far out. She could only hope that it was the same for Julian, this was a give and take after all. And he had already given her enough.

On an upward move, she clenched her muscles around and he let out a low growl.

"You like that, yeah?" She couldn't help but ask it with a satisfied grin.

"Mh-hm," was his only answer and a shiver rolled over him when she did it again. "You keep at that...," he manage, his voice becoming more and more ragged with every word, "and this will be over really soon."

Her grin became even more satisfied. "Don't worry. We've got all night."

He pulled back from her a little to look her in the face, one eyebrow arched. "So no pressure then."

"We..." She cradled his face in her hands. "Will..." She kissed him quickly on the mouth. "Do..." She kissed him again, longer this time. "Just fine."

Julian dropped back down on the pillow, pulling her down with him. His hand threaded into her hair as he locked lips with her again while the other slid between their bodies again, finding her center.

She found friction against his fingers, her pace becoming quicker. She felt his hot breath against her neck as they broke the kiss and he buried his face in her hair.

Just a few more moves, a few more times shifting her weight to her knees to pull back, a few more rolls of her hips against him, against his hand and she would...

The second time, her orgasm was more instantaneous. There was no slow build-up, none of the usual warning signs. It just hit her, white hot and brilliant, and she all but faltered against him, her arms and legs shaking, the breath hitching in her throat.

She took him along, feeling his grip tighten on her and his hips thrusting up to meet hers. She could feel his deep growl more than she could hear it, vibrating against her senses, and it was the sexiest thing she had ever heard.

He held on to her for a while longer, letting her ride it out against him, before she slowly sat up. In an absent gesture, she ran a hand through his hair where it was matted to his forehead and his fingers closed around her wrist. He looked at her with that unfathomable expression again, the hint of a smile curling the corners of his mouth.

"What?" she asked, that same old insecurity rising up inside her again.

As if to hold back an answer, he bit his bottom lip, shaking his head. Then his arm went around her hips again and he flipped her on her back, hovering over her.

"You know, you do make me nervous when you look at me like that. Especially when we're all...," she made a vague gesture between them.

Julian grinned. "Naked?"

"I was going to go with post-coital but naked is fine, too."

He kissed her soundly. "If anyone's got to be nervous, it'd be me." With that, he pulled back from her. "I'll be right back." He rose from the bed and disappeared into the bathroom.

When he returned, Marti looked at him, brow raised. "What's that supposed to mean?" She didn't like the edge of her own voice. She hadn't meant to sound so bitchy.

He tilted his head at her, slightly taken aback by the sudden turn of events. His shoulders sagged, he was obviously as unhappy about it as she was. With a sigh, he sat down next to her.

"What I meant is... when I packed up Nikki and we took that flight down to Daytona, I didn't know how things would turn out. The whole time we sat at that stadium, I kept replaying what I going to tell you in my head, fearing that you might turn me down."

"But I didn't," Marti interrupted him.

"Well, I didn't know that at the time, did I?"

Marti's sudden... it wasn't anger but she couldn't really describe it, evaporated at the boyish glance he shot over his shoulder. She sat up and tugged the blanket up and around her. "You know, that insecurity thing is all cute for a little but... I like you better when you take charge."

The boyish look turned into a leer. "Do you now?"

"Mh-hm." She moved closer to him, pressing a gentle kiss to his shoulder. "Although, honestly... when you showed up there I wasn't so sure either."

Julian turned around to her, stealing a quick kiss from her lips. "I'm glad you changed you mind."

She returned the kiss. "Me, too." She pulled the blanket aside, beckoning. "Let's get some rest."

He slid into the bed next to her, wrapping one arm around her. "What about 'we've got all night'?"

She pulled him down on the mattress, snuggling into his embrace. "We do." She kissed him again, slow and deep. "I like my desert in courses."

Julian grinned against her mouth. "I like the way you think."

Marti rested her head on his chest, feeling the post-coital fatigue crawling up her body. "Julian?"

"Mh?" Even in the little expression, she could spot his tiredness as well. It had been a long day after all.

"You're still not getting out of that date."


	10. Epilogue

Marti hadn't felt so warm in a long time. It wasn't the kind of heat-wave warmth she was used to in southern Tennessee. It was that cozy, comforting feeling only to be found in the bed and arms of another person. She felt... save. And strangely at home.

But there was something that...

"You are staring," she murmured into the pillow, trying to shield her eyes from the sunlight coming in through the blinds.

"Yes, I am," Julian replied, amusement dripping from his voice.

"It's creepy."

He chuckled right into her ear and a shiver ran down her spine. "I told you I wanted to wake up with you."

Not quite opening her eyes yet, Marti turned in his embrace, inhaling his morning scent. "When you said that I was thinking more like coffee and bagels in bed and not creepy serial killer stare."

She felt his hand drift across her cheek, his fingers threading into her hair. "How about a good morning kiss?"

Marti squinted one eye open, looking at him. "I'd like that."

Julian leaned into her, capturing her lips in a slow kiss. She melted against him, the memories, images and sensations of last night flooding her senses. It had been everything and more and they had fallen asleep in the very early morning, exhausted and sated.

Marti groaned as she pulled away. She didn't want the kiss to end but oxygen was a priority after all. "I will take that coffee now."

He raised an eyebrow in mock disapproval. "What do I look like to you? Your manservant?"

She grinned from ear to ear. "I'm going to comment on that."

"Good." He gave he a quick kiss. "Two coffees coming right up." He disentangled himself from her and the bed sheet and rose, slipped into his boxers to get their breakfast.

Marti looked after him, glad he didn't see that ridiculous foolish spreading on her face. This was exactly how a morning-after was supposed to go. She had missed this non-awkward feeling of content, knowing she had done the absolutely right thing.

Since nature took it's toll, she got up and slipped into Julian's shirt. It smelled so deliciously like him that she tugged the fabric tighter around her body and went into the bathroom. After she was done, she quickly brushed her teeth and splashed some water on her face.

When she went back out into the bedroom, she noticed a framed picture on the dresser by the bathroom door. It was a picture of Julian, Nikki and Kate.

Kate was indeed beautiful. She had long auburn hair just like Nikki with delicate features. She was the kind of woman men looked after but who wouldn't look at just anybody. Which was no surprise since she had managed to grab Julian. What did surprise her, though, was that she and Kate were nothing alike. Julian didn't seem to have a type.

"We took that on Nikki's third birthday. A couple of weeks before we got the diagnosis."

Marti flinched at Julian's words. She hadn't heard him come back upstairs. Now he leaned in door, two cups in one, two bagels on a plate in the other hand.

"I'm... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snoop." Marti felt heat creep on her cheeks.

Julian shook his head, shrugging with one shoulder. He set the plate down on the edge of the bed and approached her, holding out the coffee cup.

She accepted it, inhaling the strong scent, feeling his presence behind her. He was so close that could lean against his chest, finding comfort in his warmth. "She really was beautiful." Her fingers gently touched the frame.

Julian shifted behind her, clearing his throat. "We can... I can put it away if... it's awkward."

Marti shook her head. "No, it's fine." She turned halfway to him, meeting his gaze. "If you had wanted to put it away, you would have done so earlier. You're not ready yet."

He looked at her, one eyebrow raised.

Her eyes dropped for a moment before she looked up at him again. "When my dad died... supposedly... I kept a picture of him on my bedside table for years. Wanda would tell me that it would be better if I put it away so that I could move on but... even when she stashed it in a drawer, I would take it out at night and I would tell him about my day. You know, kindergarten, school, my gymnastics meets... I knew that he couldn't hear me or anything but... it helped." She drew in a long breath. "Until one day, I didn't need it anymore. So that's when I put it away. And until you reach that point... that picture stays right there."

A beat passed between them in which he looked at her in something close to disbelief. With his free hand, he reached into the back of her neck and kissed her.

There was something in that kiss she couldn't quite name. It was a thank you, she could feel that, but there was more than that. And it took her breath away, literally and figuratively.

Julian broke the kiss, leaning his forehead against hers. "I have to stop dating women who are smarter than me. You're putting me to shame."

Marti looked up at him, grinning. "You enjoy it. And you have since I walked into your classroom."

He nodded, smirking. "You got me there. Especially since you were wearing that washed-out, cut off AC/DC t-shirt."

She arched a brow. "Lawyer and a fashionista? Could you be any more perfect for me?"

His smirk turned into a grin. "Successful lawyer, mind you. And heavy metal fan."

Marti's mouth dropped open. "Don't make me fall in love with you, professor."

"I thought you already did."

She shrugged suggestively. "Details." She took a sip of her coffee, batting her eyes up at him. "So, what do you say, we round up Nikki and the three of us grab brunch?"

"Hm, no." Julian shook his head. "I thought we could stay in bed a little longer." He gently nudged her towards the bed until she had to sit down on the mattress.

"Why? Are you suggesting..." She wriggled her eyebrows at him.

"Marti," he made a dramatic pause, "eat your bagel."

#

An hour and bagel crumbs in various, unseemly places later, Marti snuggled into the curve of Julian's body, draping his arm around her middle.

He nuzzled his face into the back of her neck, pressing a kiss to her skin. "I'm glad I made it."

She chuckled under her breath. "Come on, you're not that old."

"Thank you very much." Julian pinched her in the side, making her yelp. "But that's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?" Marti rubbed the now sore spot at her waist, turning back around to him.

He looked at her for a long moment, then leaned down to kiss her. "I'm glad I made my way back to you."


End file.
